You want to start a family and you’re 30 something years old. No problem. Right? You’ve got years and years of childbearing ahead of you, so what’s the rush?
During the first part of my career as a leading fertility expert, I saw thousands of women who thought this or who were told this. Some could get pregnant on their own; many could not.
Today, as a leading menopause expert I still see 30 something year olds, but for a different reason. They worry they’re entering perimenopause (the 5-10 years leading up to menopause) or menopause. Once again, lots of the women I see are right. Perimenopause is an underappreciated infertility causes.
If you are a woman in your thirties or early forties, especially if you haven’t started your family or haven’t completed it, here are some numbers that you should be aware of:
Age Menopause Begins
|
Onset of Menopause |
Frequency |
| Before age 20 | 1 out of 10,000 |
| Before age 30 | 1 out of 1,000 |
| Before age 40 | 1 out of 100 |
| Before age 45 | 1 out of 10-20 |
From: The Estrogen Fix by Mache Seibel, MD
And the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause, which include infertility, start up to 10 years before that.
Look out for my next post. It will dive deeper into this issue so that you will have helpful information to guide you with family building decisions.
Please share this with family and friends who would find this helpful.
Dr. Mache
Mache Seibel, MD
P.S.
If you haven’t read my book The Estrogen Fix, you’re missing out on the book recommended by the North American Menopause Society for both women and their doctors.
